Wilcox’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Yes, the main photo for this recipe was not styled at all, taken on the floor surrounded by toys. Real life, yo.

This recipe came from our close friend’s mother years and years ago. I tucked the recipe card into my recipe box and never touched it again. I imagine at least a decade has passed since I copied this recipe down and just the other day I was sorting through my recipe collection for some inspiration and there it was, bright and pink, staring right at me.

Don’t judge. I was in my 20’s and had a thing for gel pens.

We haven’t lived near our dear friends since 2009 – wow that’s going on nearly 8 years now! – and have only had a chance to visit them maybe twice or three times since moving away. Even so, they’re the kind of friends that you can pick right up where you left off as if no time has passed, even though we both have kids now and it’s been a long time since our days playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero in their garage-turned-family room. I have a very fond place in my heart for their mom, Sue, the one who gave me this recipe, even now so many years later.

I can’t remember if I ever made this recipe gluten free before. I think not. Usually if I do, I mark the substitutions on the card right away. There were none, until now, of course.

These turned out deliciously crispy on the outside yet still decidedly chewy. The perfect balance, if you ask me. Also, this recipe makes a ton of cookies. I was getting bored of rolling cookies by about half way through because they make so much more than most of my other cookie recipes do. This isn’t a bad thing. Truly. I just have a short attention span, and a helpful toddler with an even shorter attention span.

I guess you could say Levi appreciated the effort, though.

Food has a way of bringing up memories and evoking feelings of nostalgia. I love it. Here’s a cookie, take a moment to reminisce, appreciate and enjoy your lifelong, never-ending friendships.